


no time to waste (let's fall from grace)

by an_idle_teen



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Religious, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-17
Updated: 2013-06-17
Packaged: 2017-12-15 05:38:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/845932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_idle_teen/pseuds/an_idle_teen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>louis and harry know that they won't be accepted, at least not in a town where weekly bible studies and monthly church get togethers are events that everyone actually looks forward to. but, see, they don't really care.</p>
            </blockquote>





	no time to waste (let's fall from grace)

**Author's Note:**

> wow another one shot? I need a life maybe? probably. 
> 
> title: agony by paloma faith 
> 
> warning: homophobia/ use of the word f*ggot/ just people being ignorant really

Louis and Harry have been thinking about this - coming out, that is - for quite some time. 

They know that things won't be perfect, they won't even be close to perfect, really, but. They're so tired of waiting, they're sick of having to hide themselves, of having to hide anything that may offend the others in their lives.

Of course, people have made their assumptions - everyone gossips in this tiny, rundown town of bible freaks - but no one has ever actually said it aloud. The G word. 

The word that Louis and Harry are _not_ ashamed of, because they have no reason to be (well, that's what their best mates, Liam, Zayn, and Niall have said). And they're totally, completely right. There's nothing at all to be ashamed of, because being gay isn't some sort of curable disease (no matter how many times their pastor has said so.) 

So they're ready to come out, officially, to their parents (who definitely know that something is up, no matter how hard they try to ignore it), and then to their church (which, well, that's another matter completely).

~

"Babe, are you sure, like really, really sure?" Louis asks, one last time, just to be positive. He doesn't want Harry to feel forced into coming out, because this is something big, something scary. They need to be prepared for, like, some of the worst possible reactions ever. 

Harry laughs, and even though it's a little bit forced, it makes Louis smile as well. “'Course I am, Lou. I love you,” he says, eyes wide and innocent and this is what Louis is afraid of, honestly. 

He's afraid that the childlike innocence that Harry posses will be taken away, because reality sucks, and it'll be all his fault. He can't let Harry know that, though. He has to be strong enough for the both of them. 

Just then another voice, loud, obnoxious and with an Irish lilt to it disturbs his worrying. “Mate, you look like you're thinking way too much. Calm the fuck down, this isn't some damn soap opera,” and this is why Louis loves Niall, really, because he's always there to (quite rudely) bring him back to his senses. 

All five friends are sat in Zayn's basement, because Zayn is the only one whose parents actually give him some privacy, and they all like to abuse that privacy as often as they can. They've been discussing Louis and Harry's planned coming out that will most likely happen later on tonight, and it seems that Zayn may have to take out his little bag of goodies, because they're all nervous as fuck.

Like, Louis might actually throw up if he doesn't have a spliff within a few minutes. “Zayn. Zayn. Weed, I need some please,” he says, smiling as prettily as he possibly can.

It seems that his prettiest smile only works on Harry though, because Zayn refuses. “Nah, mate. You need to be all there for tonight - no, don't look at me like that, Harry, I will not give your boyfriend drugs.”

“Well, fuck you then, tosser,” Louis sneers, except it comes out as a half sob instead. All of a sudden there are three boys around him, and one boy (with lovely curly hair) on top of him. 

“Babes, are you okay?” Liam asks, and it makes Louis smile (a tiny smile) because Liam has always been there for him, he was there even before he met Harry. He's always accepted Louis, no questions asked. 

“Yeah, Li, just. Y'know, nervous,” he sniffles, struggling to wipe at his eyes with Harry's huge body still spread on top of him. 

“It'll be okay, bebz. Don't stress,” Zayn coos, and Niall makes a sound of agreement, petting at Louis' hair. 

Harry doesn't say anything, just cuddles even closer into Louis' collarbone (which can't be too comfortable). Somehow, though, it makes him feel even better - better than all of the spoken assurances, because it's Harry. Harry, who _always_ makes him feel better. The least Louis can do is put on a brave face for him. 

“Yeah, I'm fine now. I love you, Haz,” Louis whispers, leaning forward to place a gentle kiss on Harry's lips.

“I'll love you always.”

~

Louis and Harry are ready.

Totally, one hundred percent, ready. 

They're standing in Louis' kitchen, the counter being the only thing separating the boys from his mum, who is currently cooking dinner.

“M-mum. Mum, um, H-Harry and I have something, um-” Louis starts, blushing like crazy. He shouldn't be though, right? Because his mum has always been his best friend, and yeah, she may be pretty crazy about God and all that, but he's her son. That's got to count for something. 

Right?

“Spit it out, Louis Tomlinson. For Heavens sake!” His mum interrupts his rambling, shaking her head as she stirs the pasta around.

Louis likes pasta. He hopes that his mum will let him stick around and eat some after he comes out with Harry. 

He takes a deep breath, hand twitching from the overwhelming need to grab onto Harry's, tight, and never let go. He doesn't, though, because he needs to break it to his mother easy. Like, the opposite of ripping off a bandage.

Out of the corner of his eye Louis sees Harry's hand do the same, and he smiles a little. “Well. Like. The thing is... Harry and I. We're, uh...”

“Yes? You're what?” She asks, looking a little bit impatient and excited? 

“We're together,” Harry says, before Louis can start rambling once again. 

And holy shit Louis thinks he's dying. Is he dying? He's pretty sure he's about to die because he can't fucking breathe. 

“Louis. Louis, darling. Calm down, open your eyes, please,” his mum says, and what? She's not yelling? She doesn't hate him?

“You don't hate me?” 

“What, darling, no! I mean, I'd have to be a bit daft to have not noticed your, um, sexuality before, yeah? I've always loved you. Always will,” she promises, and before he can reply he feels Harry grip his hand, and something like pride settles deep in his bones. 

~

Feeling encouraged with the reaction they received from Louis' mum, Louis and Harry assume that telling Anne, Harry's mum, will be just as easy and smooth and quick. Like ripping off a bandage. 

(They assume wrong.)

Anne is sitting on the couch, jotting some notes down in her bible, when Harry and Louis walk in.

They aren't holding hands - not yet, anyway. They must look a bit suspicious though, because Anne's eyes narrow as soon as she looks up at them. 

“Yes, boys? Do you need something,” and it sounds like a warning, like maybe they should just continue on with their lives, and not tell her the truth.

Louis must be the only one who thinks so though, because within a second Harry is talking, looking more nervous than Louis has ever seen him. 

“Well, mum, um. Louis and I, yeah, we have something to say? Or, like, I have something to say that has to do with Louis an-” he starts to say, before his mum cuts him off with a glare. 

She doesn't look excited, like Louis' mum did - she looks angry. Sort of disappointed, like she already knows but wishes she didn't. (Louis' heart starts to ache because this is what he was afraid of - being unable to protect Harry.) 

“I don't want to hear it, Harry,” she says, looking away and going back to her bible.

Louis wonders how that's possible - how a book that's filled simply with the thoughts and actions of people who are no longer alive can control your love for your own child.

Before he has a chance to react (and by react, he means screaming and shouting and basically acting like a three year old because no one treats _his_ Harry like that), Harry speaks up. “I'm gay. I'm dating Louis. I love Louis, and he's gay and loves me too,” he says, eyes widening once he's done like maybe he hadn't meant to say all of that. 

Instantly Anne is up out of her seat, bible still clutched in her hands like a weapon. “Excuse me? I will not have words like that being spoken in my household, Harry. You're not - you're not, _that_ , dear, it's just a-”

“It's not a phase, miss,” Louis interrupts, trying to his best to seem respectful (even though all he wants to do right now is shake some damn sense into this woman). 

“And you! You little faggot, you're the one who caused all of this!” Anne shouts, throwing her bible down and both hands up into the air.

Louis is shocked, like, honestly shocked that this woman who so dutifully follows the bible and all that it says, could call him a word like that. Surely the bible doesn't say that it's okay to speak to another human being like that, does it? He's so shocked that he can't even think of a reply (and that's never happened before, ever).

“Mum! You can't speak to my boyfriend like that! Jesus!” Harry shouts back (and Louis almost smiles, because Harry always defends him, always).

“Your boyfriend? Harry, darling, honestly. Think this through! How could you just throw away all that I've taught you? This isn't the life that God wants for you,” Anne says, looking truthfully distressed - like her son being gay is the worst news she could have possibly ever received.

Louis still can't speak - he's never been called a faggot before, at least not to his face, and it's especially degrading coming from a grown woman. 

Harry seems to realize his dilemma, and speaks up for the both of them. “Mum, I didn't just _choose_ to like, be gay? I mean, I'm not ashamed or anything, but, like... it's not a choice. And I'm pretty sure God loves everyone, so.”

Louis nods, finally taking Harry's hand in his own (and he gets a sick sort of satisfaction from the way Anne wrinkles her nose and glares). “Honestly, we're not like, any different than we were before? I don't get why being gay would keep us out of heavens gates, or whatever,” he says, gripping onto Harry's hand just a little bit tighter because Anne really does scare him. 

Anne glares at him, again, and Louis would smirk if he wasn't resisting the urge to piss himself. “You wouldn't get it, would you? Your minds have been tainted by sin,” she scoffs, and then turns back to Harry, “And if you don't let go of his hand _right_ this second you are not allowed to live in this house. I will not allow this type of disgusting behavior to go on under my household.”

 _This is it_ , Louis thinks, _the moment where Harry realizes I'm not worth all of this, where he leaves me_.

Harry seems to be thinking something else though, because he just nods. “Alright then, I guess I'll get my stuff and go.”

“I guess you will,” Anne says, and she looks pissed, but not hurt - not like she's just lost the best person ever. 

Maybe it's a good thing that Harry isn't staying here, then. 

~

“Are you sure that I can stay here, Jay? I mean, like, I could always -”

“Nonsense Harry, where else would you stay? Honestly darling, calm down. And don't think I won't check on you two at night! I know how you teenage boys have all these crazy hormones rushing through your systems!”

“Mum! Please stop talking, I am begging you.”

**Author's Note:**

> also I self edited this like five times, but if you see any mistakes please let me know! x


End file.
